Staff Project Engineer, AD&S

Anduril • Costa Mesa, CA

10d • $183,000 - $243,000

About The Position

Anduril Industries is seeking a Staff Project Engineer for its Air Dominance & Strike (AD&S) Manufacturing Engineering team. The role drives the execution and quality of Manufacturing Development Plan (MDP) and Product Development Process (PDP) stage-gate deliverables across AD&S programs, spanning Air Strike and Air Dominance products such as cruise missiles, loitering munitions, and autonomous aircraft. This is a manufacturing engineering position, not a program management role, and requires expertise in manufacturing maturity and readiness throughout product development.

The engineer works with Product Program Managers, Program Managers, Chief Engineers, and Manufacturing Engineering managers and teams to prepare, review, and deliver stage-gate materials. The role also represents Manufacturing Engineering on cross-functional projects, helping resolve issues involving design, quality, supply chain, and operations. It requires strong relationship-building, independent execution, and the ability to coordinate work across concurrent programs. Travel to production sites and partner facilities may be required as needed, at less than 10%.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, with significant exposure to product development processes, stage-gate reviews, and manufacturing readiness assessments.
• Deep understanding of manufacturing development planning and experience across the full lifecycle from prototype through rate production multiple times.
• Proven ability to work across program management, design engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations to deliver results.
• Ability to build cross-functional relationships and drive projects to completion through influence rather than authority.
• Experience preparing and delivering technical review presentations to senior engineering and program leadership.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including tracking deliverables across multiple concurrent programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make complex manufacturing topics clear and actionable in stage-gate reviews.
• Self-directed and proactive approach to identifying needs and closing the loop.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where processes are still being developed and refined.
• Personal production-floor experience building, testing, or directly supporting hardware manufacturing.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field.
• Experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing, particularly with qualified or flight-critical hardware programs.
• Familiarity with AS9100/AS9102 quality management systems and their intersection with stage-gate processes.
• Experience with manufacturing readiness level (MRL) assessments or similar maturity frameworks.
• Background in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies applied in a production environment.
• Experience supporting production transfers or new site stand-ups as part of a stage-gated development process.
• Proficiency in CAD software and familiarity with modern manufacturing technologies across machining, composites, electronics, and assembly.
• Appropriate clearance classification.

Responsibilities

• Own execution of MDP and PDP manufacturing engineering stage-gate deliverables across AD&S programs, ensuring they are complete, technically accurate, and delivered on time.
• Work with Product Program Managers, Program Managers, Chief Engineers, and Manufacturing Engineering managers to prepare and deliver stage-gate review decks and presentations representing manufacturing readiness.
• Track and drive closure of stage-gate action items, open risks, and manufacturing readiness gaps across programs.
• Maintain the quality standard for Manufacturing Engineering stage-gate content and hold teams to that standard.
• Coordinate support across multiple programs with different timelines to help teams meet their stage gates.
• Represent Manufacturing Engineering on cross-functional projects, contributing to design trades, quality investigations, supply chain decisions, and operational problem-solving.
• Build and maintain working relationships with design engineering, quality, supply chain, operations, and program management.
• Take ownership of one-off projects from problem definition through resolution.
• Identify gaps and inconsistencies in stage-gate processes and recommend improvements as programs scale.
• Support development and maintenance of stage-gate templates, checklists, and standards for Manufacturing Engineering deliverables.
• Mentor and guide less experienced manufacturing engineers on stage-gate expectations and cross-functional execution.
• Travel to production sites and partner facilities as needed (<10%).

Benefits

• Highly competitive equity grants are included in offers; equity is part of the total compensation package.
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans, with premiums paid by Anduril.
• Employee life and disability benefits.
• Mental health and family planning benefits.
• Fully paid medical leave.
• Paid company holidays.
• Paid Time Off.
• Professional development stipend.
• Fully subsidized on-site meals during the work week.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior